Enough
by randxgirl
Summary: COMPLETED! Shane and Stephanie are always fighting and Vince has had enough. However, during these fights, Vince has always taken Steph’s side and Shane has had enough.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Though I wish I owned Shane, I don't. Everyone in this story belongs to him/herself, and to Vince McMahon.

CHAPTER 1

"What the hell did you do that for? Turn it back!!" Shane was surprised that his 10-year old sister Stephanie just switched the television to Nickelodeon, while he was in the middle of watching the final minutes of what was perhaps the best game of the season. But he was not only surprised, he was mad!

"No, you've been watching that stupid basketball show for 3 hours already! It's now my turn!"

"Whatever, your turn, your turn, you're just gonna go watch that freakin' cartoon show that you're even too old to watch! Bring it back!!"

"Nooo!!!"

"I said bring it back!" Grabbing the remote on top of the table, Shane switched it back to the game.

"Hey!"

Then a fight for the remote went on.

Linda McMahon came out from the kitchen upon hearing commotion. "Kids! Hey, stop it! What's going on?"

"Mom, I was in the middle of watching a game and she suddenly came and switched the channel! It was down to the last 3 minutes!"

"Stephanie, that was not nice…"

"But mom, he has been watching that stupid game since 4! It's 7 now! My turn!"

"Yes Stephanie, but don't you think that it's better if you asked first before switching the television to another channel?"

"But he won't allow me to anyway!" whined Steph. She had a point though; Shane would definitely not share the t.v.

"Shane…" Linda warned as she saw Shane making faces from where he sat.

Emerging from the staircase, Vince made his presence known. "What's all this commotion I keep hearing? I'm upstairs working and I can hear screaming…"

"Well, your kids are fighting about the television, AGAIN." Linda was sure to emphasize on the word 'again'. It seems that fighting was what Shane and Steph have been doing lately, and she was starting to lose her patience already.

"What are you fighting about again?" Vince, too, was already tired of this situation.

"I was watching a close match between the Celtics and the Lakers when suddenly, there's this someone who comes in and, out of the blue, switches the t.v. to the stupid Nickelodeon channel." Shane explained in an irritated tone.

Before Vince had the chance to speak, Stephanie already explained herself. "But he has been watching for 3 hours already!"

And that was it. That explanation was enough for Vince to make his decision. "Shane, you have been watching for 3 hours already. And yeah, when I came in, I already saw you watching. It's 7 already, and you're still there? Why not share the t.v. with your sister? Don't be selfish…"

Surprised by that comment, Shane tried to reason out, "But da-…"

"No but's, young man… well, seeing that it's dinner time already, why don't you two wash up and get ready for dinner."

When he saw Shane's mouth open and was about to speak, Vince, in a much sterner voice said, "NOW!"

Deciding to obey, as he seemed to have nothing else to do, Shane stomped upstairs, into his room where he banged his door shut. "Sh!"


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Shane was the first one to reach the dinner table, so he was the first one to get his share of the chicken. First come, first serve.

But when Stephanie saw the leg part of the chicken on Shane's plate, she took the piece of his plate!

"What the? Hey, that's mine! I got it first." Shane was again surprised and mad about what just happened. That was the second straight time in a matter of minutes that she did something in a sudden. And it was something so rude, to him!

"But this is my favorite. Get something else! You can get the wings… or the butt! Just like you, butthead!" Stephanie even managed to smile. She loved pissing Shane off.

"Ahhh!!! Dad!!!"

"Shane, get something else. There's still a lot in front of you, that you won't even finish it. Give that to your sister already, will you?"

"But dad!! I got it first. It was here ON MY PLATE and she just took it!"

"Shane, you're the older one here, just give in to what your sister wants, okay?"

"How will that be okay? That was rude!!!"

"Stop it! Get something else, and let's have dinner shall we?"

Once again, he did it! Vince did it! He took Steph's side one more time, even if she was the one who was wrong! Muttering under his breath, Shane decided to just follow. "Sh!"

And Stephanie was all smiles. She stuck her tongue out on him.

Seeing this, Shane turned to his sister. "I hate you…"

"I hate you, too!"

"Kids!"

And they ate the rest of dinner in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

After dinner, Shane went straight to his room and decided to just spend the rest of the night there. He was mad. No, he was extremely mad! He was mad at Steph, for everything she has done. He was mad at his dad for always taking her side. He was mad his mom for not doing anything about it. So to avoid being reprimanded, shouted at or getting into another fight, he decided to just stay in his room.

He was reading a book when the door suddenly barged open. "The computer won't open. Fix it!" Stephanie whined in a demanding tone.

"Excuse me?! First off, don't you know how to knock? Second, don't you know how to ask PROPERLY? And third, why would I want to fix that damn computer?"

"Because if you don't, I'm going to tell dad!" She threatened, thinking that his brother would give in.

"Then go tell him! See if I care!" Shane knew he had enough strong arguments to defend himself. Stephanie was just plain rude.

Turning around and walking out of the room, Steph shouted: "Daaaaaaaad!!!!"

Seconds later, Stephanie came back, this time, with Vince in tow.

"What's going on around here?" Vince seemed to be annoyed by another one of these.

"She came here, barging into my room, demanding me to fix the computer because it won't turn on."

"And? So why are you arguing?"

"She did not knock. She did not ask properly. She was demanding me to do something as if she's my boss or something, and I'm her slave!" Shane responded in a much aggressive tone. He no longer cared; he has had enough of Stephanie's spoiled antics.

"I am really the boss, 'cause I'm the princess, just like what daddy always says, right daddy?" Stephanie smiled sweetly. "And you're just jealous because they don't love you as much as they do love me…"

Vince warned her. "Stephanie…"

"What!?!? That's just what you're going to say? Don't you see, dad? She's… she's such an immature brat!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Enough!" Vince shouted at the top of his voice, prompting Linda to rush into the room.

"What's going on here?"

"I'll give you one guess…"

"What are you two fighting about again, this time?"

But before any of the kids got the chance to answer her, Vince, in a stern voice that neither kid has ever heard him use before said: "The both of you, DOWN… NOW!"

Both did as they were told and when they reached downstairs, both were asked to go outside.

"Both of you are staying here, up until you work things out and decide to be brother and sister to each other already. I've had enough of all these fighting, I can't work, I can't watch t.v., I can't get some rest without one or the both of you screaming and one coming to get me. I don't care what you're gonna do out here, but you're staying here and if you don't behave properly, then, you might as well spend the night here. Got it? You're just so lucky that we actually live in a subdivision."

Then he left the two outside with the freezing atmosphere of December enveloping them. No jackets, no coats, no fireplace. No television, no computer, no books. It was just the two of them… and two cars parked on the garage.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"This is all your fault!" Stephanie pouted at her brother. She didn't want to stay out here doing nothing, she didn't want to stay here with Shane, of all people, and she didn't want her dad mad at her.

"How is this my fault?! Everything that has happened today is your entire fault! Brat!" Shane spat back.

"I am not a brat!"

"Oh yeah, 'cause you're a spoiled brat!"

"You're just jealous 'cause mommy and daddy don't love you!! They don't give you much attention as much as they do to me."

Shane thought to himself, "Yeah, they don't give me attention. It's me they've been seeing always! It's always my fault!" But he turned to Steph and rebutted her. "I am not jealous of you! Why would I be jealous? You're rude, mean, impolite. Brat!"

"At least someone loves me…"

"Yeah, and one day, nobody's gonna love you anymore. You're so rude that people would hate you. Then, noone's gonna come near you already. Keep that bratty attitude and let's just see if anyone will come and be friends with you anymore! No guy is gonna like you, and they're all gonna avoid you. Then, you'll grow up alone with noone caring for you 'cause you're a selfish brat! You're so spoiled that one day, you're gonna rot!"

On the verge of tears, Steph had to defend herself. No, she was not going to cry. She couldn't let Shane win. "That's not true! You're just jealous…"

"Brat!"

"Jealous!"

"Brat!"

"Jealous!"

"You know what, I don't care anymore. Why do I even bother talking to you? You're just a waste of my time!" Then, he proceeded to sit on the front porch. This was gonna be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

It was starting to get darker and darker and the siblings haven't spoken a single word to each other after that last "encounter". Shane was sick and tired of fighting with Steph, especially when it seems as if his rebuttals are going nowhere each time. Stephanie didn't want to aggravate the situation anymore, and truth be told, she wanted to go back inside already. But no, she definitely won't apologize.

As Shane got more and more tired, he tried to find a place for him to get comfortable. Staying outside made him shiver. The wind was at a fast speed, and the breeze was just so cold. In fact, he was starting to catch flu. Walking around, he then spotted his dad's Mercedes parked on the garage, and approached it. Seeing that it was fortunately kept unlocked, he opened the door, went in, laid the seat down, and feeling a temporary sense of heaven decided to probably spend the night there or up until someone comes out to get them back. He left Stephanie right outside the door of their house, and as how he has been feeling since before dinnertime, he didn't care about her.

Stephanie saw what her 16-year old brother just did and was shocked to see that he didn't seem to care about her and just left her there. As far as she knows, Shane loves her and cares for her. In fact, she bragged about Shane to her classmates and friends because nobody else had a brother as loving and as protective as hers. It just amused her so much every time she would annoy her big brother. Maybe that was a way in which she showed her love back to him. Well, that didn't seem to be something Shane wanted a part of.

So she approached the car which Shane occupied and knocked on the window. Because his eyes were closed, Shane didn't see his sister at once. Opening his eyes and being slightly annoyed by the sudden interruption of his nap, Shane rolled the window down and snapped at his sister. "What?!"

In a pleading voice, Steph responded. "Can I come in, too?"

"No! I was first here, and I don't wanna be with you. Go find some other place to settle in." Then, an adamant Shane rolled the window back up and proceeded to go back to napping.

"Fine!" Now, Stephanie couldn't do anything anymore. She has ticked her brother off too much that he doesn't want any part of her anymore, and that she has to find a way to save herself from shivering and getting sick already. Alone.

Stephanie let the tears that were threatening to fall since what seemed like forever to fall already. But no, she will not let Shane win. She will prove to him that she can do things on her own, and that she is not a spoiled brat.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

More than half an hour later, Shane woke up to decide to see what his sister was up to. Yes, he was mad at her, but he still did care. Afterall, she was his sister. And as much as he tried to not care for her anymore, that seemed impossible.

Sitting back up, he looked around the place. No Stephanie. So he decided to come out of the car to further check and to do some thorough checking. He looked behind the trees, in front of the plants, beside the cars, still no Stephanie. Where could she be?

Thinking that maybe their mom or dad already decided to let them go back inside the house, and seeing Stephanie alone outside, they already allowed her to enter. And maybe she told them about him sleeping and maybe they didn't want to wake him up anymore, so they left him there.

This prompted him to ring the doorbell to see if Stephanie was already inside. If not, then there was gonna be a big trouble.

A few seconds after, Linda opened the door surprised to see Shane there. Oh, he did have the nerve to ring the bell after the look their father had while announcing that they would be staying outside for the night. "Shane."

"Yeah…" Shane acknowledged, expecting to be allowed to enter but was surprised to see Linda just standing there right in front of the door.

"Is something wrong?"

"Huh? What?"

"Why did you ring the bell? You know full well your dad's still mad right? This must be really important."

"Huh? Isn't Steph inside?"

"Why would she be here? She's out here with you!"

"So we aren't allowed to enter yet?"

Before Linda could answer, Vince came wondering who in the hell was at the door. He was surprised to see Shane there.

"What do you want?"

Then in a soft, shaky voice, Shane announced, "I think Stephanie is missing."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Before any of them could further react, a figure of a little girl approaching caught Vince's eye. "Stephie!"

"Steph!!!! Oh thank God you're okay." Linda hugged her only daughter tightly. "Where have you been, sweetheart? You scared us!!!"

"I just took a walk around the subdivision. Shane left me here alone, as he went inside the car and slept, and he won't let me in. So I just walked outside. Did you know that the girl from the white colored house has a poodle? It's so cute, I want one!!!"

"Oh honey, don't ever do that again okay? Don't go just loitering around without telling anyone. We were so scared…"

Seeing that his little princess was back home safe, Vince decided to give Shane a piece of his mind. "You left her alone right here outside?! Are you crazy or what?! What if something happened to her and she wasn't able to come back safe or alive?! You know what I would do to you?! I would NEVER forgive you! You're the older one here!! You should be protecting and looking after your sister when we're gone. And tonight, you proved to us what an irresponsible jerk you could be!! I did not raise you to be an irresponsible person, young man!!!" Vince's face was red because of anger.

Shane couldn't believe what was happening. Again, he was being reprimanded. Again, he was being blamed. Again, nobody cared about what he thought, felt, and how he was. It was all about god damn Stephanie. Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie. There was only one thing on his mind that time, and with all the emotions he had inside, he butted out: "You know what, I don't care anymore. All you care and think about is Stephanie anyway. It's always Stephanie this, Stephanie that! So fine! If you wanna have an only kid with precious little Stephie alone, THEN FINE! I'M LEAVING! SHIT!!!"

With that, he turned around, walked through the gates and wandering off to he didn't know where to finally allow Vince and Linda to spend time and be with Stephanie alone. Forever?


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Shane McMahon may be a wild kid, but there is still a sensitive side to him. He may enjoy climbing trees and staying in the tree house for hours, scaring his parents, especially his mom; but he also enjoyed just lying down on the grass and observing the stars. And tonight when he just had an argument with his parents, more specifically his father, and his sister has just been a pain-in-the-ass the whole day (actually, she has been one since the day she was born), he's letting that sensitive side take over. He's staying as far away from home as possible, and he's not going back if possible, too. After walking around the subdivision to cool off a bit after letting a few steam off he decided that he's gonna lock himself up in a secret place, the somehow secluded gazebo in their subdivision garden, which he just discovered a week ago. There, he could take time to think, reflect, and maybe even cry. Is he really that worthless of a person? Nobody will even have an idea that he's there, which for him is just the best.

Well, that is except for maybe one person. "Excuse me?" Shane was at the entrance of the gazebo when he spotted someone inside "his" secret place. There was only one lightpost around the gazebo, and with the help of the light, he saw her quickly. He was definitely surprised. _What would a girl be doing here alone at a time like this? _He couldn't quite figure out whether she was in her early or late teens, or even if she was a teenager to begin with. She had her back facing him and could only see her clad in a jacket.

Jumping slightly upon hearing a voice call out, she turned her head around allowing Shane to take a better look at her. "Yes?"

"What are you doing here?" That's a half-selfish half-concerned question from him. This was "his" place, and he wanted to be alone. But at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what a young girl would be doing at a place like the gazebo at this time of the night.

"Oh, I'm sorry… but is this place private property? As far as I know, it isn't… and seeing as my parents pay our home's share in the subdivision fee, I think I'm entitled to use this place anytime I want to?"

"What a smart-ass bitch…" Shane thought to himself. But he can't say that out loud. His parents had taught him well and better than that. "No, no… I didn't mean it that way. I just thought… I'm… I'm… I uh…" _What is happening to me? Stuttering? A McMahon doesn't stutter and is never left speechless!_ "I, uh, was just, uh, wondering what you're doing here… seeing that it's dark… and late… and alone… I… uh… I didn't mean to sound selfish… I'm just… uh… uh… uh…" He was still left standing by the gazebo entrance and hasn't taken a step forward after seeing her there.

"Concerned?" The girl continued for him with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah… I was just… concerned… yeah…" If he isn't making a fool out of himself now, he isn't exactly sure what he was doing. _Was coming here to spend the rest of the night away from home even a good idea? _

"Well, thanks then. And I'm sorry for what I said earlier…" She gave him a pout that made him loosen up a bit. _She looks so cute._

"Nah, don't even think about it…" _What is with this girl that's making me feel nervous yet excited at the same time?_ "Well, let's just say that we've called it quits…" He finished with a smile. A very nervous smile…

"Sure thing…"

"Well in that case… uh, would you… would you mind if I come in?" The last part was spoken in a soft and shy voice, signaling as if he didn't want to be heard.

"Have your parents paid your family's share in the subdivision fee?" She questioned of which she let out a small laugh after that comment, which was a "spin-off" from her smart-ass comment to Shane a while ago. _If she could laugh at her own mistakes, then she must be something. _

"Oh, I think they have… even six months advance!" Finally entering the gazebo with a smile on his face, Shane thought, "Maybe this won't be a bad night after all…"


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

At the McMahon household, a panicking Linda McMahon couldn't get off the phone stand. She has been trying to phone everyone they know, trying to see if her first-born son was with any of them. She had already tried calling Rodney and Pete, Shane's closest friends, and he was not with any of them. She had been to the guards earlier, and they told her that they haven't seen Shane around, and there was no attempt of him leaving the subdivision. _Whew! At least he hasn't gone too far. But where is he?! Where could he be?!_

"Hello, Mrs. Stevens. Hi! This is Linda McMahon. I'm sorry to be calling you this late but I was just wondering if by any chance, my son Shane is there at your house? Or maybe you have seen him around?" Mrs. Stevens sons were sometimes Shane's playmates at the clubhouse. "Oh, it's just that, we sort of had a misunderstanding, and he left around half an hour ago… … … okay, okay. Thanks. And I'm sorry for disturbing… … … okay I will. Bye." Linda McMahon was tired, scared, helpless and hopeless. But she couldn't remain that way… not until her son comes back home safe.

"Vince, where could he be?!"

"The guards said so themselves, they haven't seen him near the gates. That would mean that he's just around somewhere. Linda, he's not a baby. He's sixteen! He knows what to do." Vince McMahon is a loving, devoted father. But why wasn't Linda seeing that? Why was she seeing a Vince McMahon doing paperwork and concentrating on renewing contracts in the dining table while she is panicking alone because their only son had left home?

"VINCE!!" She screamed from the sofa where she sat. This caused Vince to jump up and look at her with surprise. She rarely raised her voice and it was not even when the kids were fighting. She was beyond frustrated. Standing up, she slowly made her way to the dining table, to confront her husband. "He may be sixteen, he may be all grown up, but he's still my baby. HE ALWAYS WILL BE! What has gotten into you? Don't you think I've noticed that you've favored Steph a lot over Shane lately, even if it was Steph's fault?! Oh, not only lately… how about, ALWAYS! ALWAYS VINCE, ALWAYS!" Linda was mad, tired, confused, scared, worried, frustrated, and so much more all at once. And soon enough, she broke down. This may be the first time Vince had seen his wife like this. But then again, it's also the first time that their son had left home with noone having any idea where he could have been.

Vince couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't stand seeing his wife like this. He stood up and enveloped Linda into a hug. "Okay, okay, shhh… calm down honey." He tried to comfort her the best way he could, and he kept assuring her that Shane was fine. Vince planted a kiss on Linda's hairline, whispering words of assurance that they would either find Shane, or he would be back home soon. "Honey, he's going to be okay."

Vince held Linda for a while longer, waiting for her to fully calm down. They pulled apart upon hearing a frightened shriek. "Nooooooo!! Shaaaaaane!! Noooooooo!!" It seemed to have come from upstairs.

The couple rushed to their daughter's room, where she was asked to forcibly go to sleep almost an hour ago. When they entered her room, they saw a crying Stephanie, with her eyes still closed, clinging on to her blanket for dear life and continuously screaming. Like any mother would, Linda rushed to her bedside and try to shake her up to awaken her from what looked like a nightmare. "Sweetheart, sweetheart, come'on get up… Stephie…"

Stephanie came to open her eyes soon after, and looked like as if she's just seen a ghost. Upon realizing that her mom was beside her, she clung onto her like there's no tomorrow. "Mommy…" her feeble voice sounded so scared. What a nightmare she must have had.

"It's okay sweetheart, everything's fine now. It's over…"

Vince also came forward to help calm down their daughter. She continuously rubbed her back gently with one hand. "Princess, you want to tell mommy and daddy what your dream was about?"

Steph slowly pulled away from her mother. "Shane… he… he…" Stephanie paused, slowly replaying in her mind the horror that just occurred minutes ago. And it scared her.

"What happened, sweetheart?"

"He was eaten by a monster!! The big, fatty, hairy, green-eyed monster came looking for me… then, then… out of nowhere… Shane pushed me aside… then I rolled over, then when I stood back up… I saw… the monster eat him headfirst!! Mommy… where… where's Shane?"

"We don't know, honey… he hasn't come home yet…" Linda didn't know if that was the best way to answer that question. Was it proper to tell a ten-year old who had just had such dream that her brother was still lost?

"THE MONSTER ATE HIM UP!!"

"No, princess!" Vince couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle. It sounded so silly, but Steph's only ten. "There is no monster… Daddy ate the monster when you were much younger. You won't even remember daddy doing that…"

"So no more monster?" No wonder Vince loved her so much. She was so cute!

"Nope! No more monster!!" Vince replied proudly.

"So where is Shane? I want him home…" Stephanie was confused although she somehow still understood what was going on.

It was now Linda's turn to speak. "We all do Stephie, we all do…" She held her only daughter closer, and cupped her chin to make her look up at her. "And we'll go find him now…"

"Can I come, too?"

Vince and Linda looked to each other, unsure of what to do and say. Finally, Vince agreed and spoke up. "Yes, princess… Let's go…" He proceeded to pick her up, and they all made their way downstairs to start looking for Shane.

But where would they start?


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

"So, what brings you here?" The girl asked, trying to start a decent conversation.

"You wouldn't want to know…" Shane wasn't sure if he just didn't want to talk about the issue at all, or he just didn't want to discuss the matter with her. _Who would seriously dump all their problems to a beautiful girl he barely knew personally and he just knew as the girl next door?_

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to… Try me… come'on, you look like you need someone to talk to…" She persuaded.

_Damn right, 'cause I haven't had anyone talk to me properly lately. With all the screaming at home… _"Uhm, nah… I'm fine… it won't be fair for me to just dump my whole life on you. I mean… you barely know me…" He hesitated. But somehow, he found it sweet of her to want to help him and comfort him.

The girl gave him a stern "Tell me" look, trying to convince him to spill the beans.

Feeling uneasy to have a stern pair of eyes staring at him, Shane finally gave in. He raised his hands up as if trying to show that he's surrendering. This girl surely had her ways of getting what she wanted, but not in the same bratty way her sister did all the time. "Okay, okay, I fold! I'll tell you… but don't blame me if you get bored with my story…" She nodded.

"I left home." He started. Shane saw her eyes grow bigger, showing that he shocked her.

Shane couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "But it's not as bad as you probably think… seeing as I don't have any baggage with me…"

"But to keep it short… my sister and I had a fight over the T.V. and the remote, then my dad saw us, he got mad mostly at me because I didn't share the T.V. with my little sister… then, we fought at the dinner table, over a piece of chicken, then my dad got mad at me again, because there were supposedly a lot more on the table, and that I just had to give my piece to my sister because I'm the older one… and then Steph and I fought one more time when she bossed me around to do something, of which I refused to do, then she went off telling my dad, who got mad at me again, actually us, then sent us out of the house…"

"He did that?!" The girl didn't know what kind of dad his father was, but who would really send their kids out of the house because they're mad? _But maybe he has had enough of his kids fighting… who knows?_

"Yeah… and that's just half of the story…" Shane was somehow starting to get embarrassed as he was telling his story. "Should I really continue? I mean… I could stop now, if you're no longer interested… I could save my dignity, too, you know…"

"Nah, you're fine… go on…" Shane's story amused her. And this was the way to end a dull night.

"Really? Oh well… moving on…" Then he, continued, "then, we teased each other, and blamed each other for what had happened, then I got tired of bickering, I went inside one of the cars, hoping to get some rest. When I got up thirty minutes later, Steph was gone. I rang the door bell, I thought she had gone inside, then my mom came out, wondering what I was doing, then my dad came out, asked the same thing, then I eventually admitted to them that my sister was gone. Then out of nowhere, she was at our gate… she just roamed around the subdivision, apparently there's this neighbor who had a dog she was engrossed to. Then, what else is new, my dad screamed at me, blamed me for what might have happened to Steph, called my irresponsible and a whole lot more… then I couldn't take it anymore and I left so they could just be with their precious Stephie… afterall, she's the only one who's important…"

As Shane finished his story, he couldn't help but feel sad. He was no longer angry; he was just hurt. This was his sensitive side taking over. Shane had his head down, seemingly trying to hide his emotions from his companion. He has made himself look like a dork a lot of times tonight. And it hasn't even been an hour with her. But the girl already saw the sadness reflected in his eyes, and she somehow felt guilty for making him talk in the first place.

She placed her hand on top of his and assured him. "Don't ever say that again. You're important. And your parents love you… even Stephanie loves you…"

Still with his head down, he whispered: "Well I certainly can't feel the love…" But it was loud enough for her to hear.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

No longer able to take the pessimism in the air, the girl tried a new approach. "I'll tell you what," and in a much more cheery and upbeat tone, she continued, "I'll bet you a hundred bucks, your parents are probably panicking to death searching for you everywhere! God, they might have even called the police and send a search party to look for you! I mean, it's Vince and Linda McMahon we're talking about here…"

It was now Shane's turn to be wide-eyed. "You know my parents?!"

The girl looked at him funnily. _Was he serious with his question?_ "Yeah… well… who doesn't? The whole freakin' world knows who the hell they are, you know? Wrestlemania was shown globally, remember?!" She didn't want to sound rude but, _How naïve could he be?_

"Well, I… I just didn't expect you to be a part of that… so… you're a fan?" _Great! A change of topic… just what I need…_ "Any favorites?" Any conversation about their family business seemed to have him e more lively and engrossed. As young as he was, he knew he would one day be a part of their family business, because he loved it so much. He had decided that he would make a living out of this since he was three!

But it seemed that his new friend wasn't that interested. "Nah… I don't really watch. But my brother and my dad do. And it's all they talk about at our dining table—whether it's breakfast, lunchtime or dinnertime. It's crazy! So I know a little bit and am quite familiar with the who's who… but please don't start a trivia thing on me… I'm not THAT exposed to pro-wrestling!" She had sensed Shane's sudden change in mood, and if their sudden shift in topic had caused that, then she won't insist on going back to discussing his problems at home.

"Fine then… just happy to know we've got fans across the street!" Shane couldn't stop smiling. It's as if the weight he had been carrying earlier had vanished, and it's as if all his anxieties had been washed away.

"My brother would be so jealous knowing I got to talk to you—Vince McMahon's son." She didn't know that her next statement would surprise Shane. "And I'm sure my father will be thrilled to know that his baby girl spent most of the night with WWF's heir apparent, Shane McMahon…" She teased.

Shane went wide-eyed for a second time. "Woah!"

She let out a laugh she barely could contain. His reaction was just priceless. "Don't worry, he won't kill you. He's a cool dad, so you're fine…"

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good to know… Whew! You got me there!"

She just couldn't stop laughing. "Your face was priceless!"

"Hey, drop it now… I've had enough of making myself look like a fool tonight. You barely know me, yet I'm making a joke out of myself in front of you…"

"You're fine… I know you… you're Shane. Shane Brandon McMahon. So, it's really no problem."

That's another surprise to him. "Wait! How exactly do you know my whole name? I mean, I understand how you know my parents… but me??"

"I heard your mom calling out your name when you and your friends came home one day after getting into a little prank in school that your mom surprisingly found out about… the one wherein you guys set the urinal on fire?!" She looked so innocent, yet he knew she was teasing him.

"YOU HEARD THAT?!" Shane had lost count of how many times he had been surprised in the short time he's been there.

"I was outside my house when it all happened…"

"Oh man… I'm sure my reputation's been all stained in your book…" He placed his face into his hands, to cover up his face. He was beyond embarrassed already.

"What?! You're what, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen maybe? It's normal." She didn't want to scare him away—she wanted them to be friends (neighbors would make great friends after all), and she had to assure him that she has no problem with anything he's done in the past.

He seemed to not hear her last comment, when he decided he would no longer risk getting embarrassed anymore. "You know what, maybe we should go home now… it's getting late. And we can't have your dad coming here threatening to suplex me to death, now can we?" _Great idea! Divert the conversation back to a comfort zone—WWF…_

"Fine, fine…" The girl started to stand up slowly, zipping her jacket up as they prepare to leave the gazebo. Then she turned to serious mode. "Are you sure you're ready to go home now?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Yeah… somehow, I still have to, right?" He started to feel the uneasiness again, but he knew he could make it.

With a tender expression, she assured him one last time, "You're gonna be fine. They love you, and that's enough…"

Shane gave her a shy smile. "Thanks Marissa… I mean it…"

Patting his back, she proceeded to lead the way out of the gazebo, and back home. _How did he know my name, though? Guess I have to find out for myself next time…_


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

"SHANE!! Oh my god… SHANE!!"

Before Shane was fully aware of it, he felt a pair of hands envelope him in a big, tight hug. "Uh… Mom… I… can't… breathe…" And he felt the hug tighten even more. "Uh… Mom… Mom… Need… to… breathe…" Then he was finally let go.

Linda held her son's face, grateful that he was finally home. Shane examined his mother's face and it was a mixture of concern, relief and tiredness. Who knows how long she had been searching for him before he decided to finally show up?

"Thank God you're home! I've been so worried about you. We've walked around the whole subdivision for four or five times trying to look for you! Where have you gone off to? You know what, never mind… I'm just glad you're home. We all are…" Linda let out another sigh relief. That was the truth. They've been walking around, trying to knock door-to-door with those neighbors whom they knew or at least Shane knew. But unfortunately, noone had any idea where Shane had been at that time. Linda was just walking back home prepared to go around the subdivision one more time when she saw Shane walking towards her from the other side. And he seemed to be on his way home.

"Look Mom, I'm sorry… I just had to leave and clear my mind—probably get some fresh air… but I'm sixteen. I'm turning seventeen next month. I'll be fine wherever I go…" Shane was partly sincere with his apology, but he was partly annoyed by his mom's reaction. It's unbelievable how big of a drama queen mothers could be. And his mom was no different.

"You can't be too sure about that… anyway, honey, you're dad's somewhere around. He and Stephanie went around looking for you as well. We decided to split up so it could be easier. They might come round at any min--…" And before Linda could finish, a little girl was running about, seemingly ready to crash into Shane.

"SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!!" And for the second time that night, a pair of arms wrapped around him after someone called his name out. Or more like screamed his name out. But this time around, the arms seemed a lot smaller and the hug was just a bit lower. This surprised him. This was too much of a welcoming party.

"I missed you…" He heard the voice whisper. His sister, though annoying at times, was just the cutest and sweetest thing ever! He couldn't help but smile. It seemed like they didn't just had a minimum of three fights hours ago, which led to them being both sent out of the house and to his eventual walk out. _Siblings… can't live with them, can't live without them… _

He ruffled her hair in a way he knew she hated, but if Shane did it, she didn't seem to mind. "I missed you too, Stephie…"

When Steph pulled out from the hug, she noticed that her brother had company. "Hey! Aren't you the one from the house with a white house? The one with the poodle?"

Linda knew where this was going. And before Steph could go any further, she knew she had to stop her daughter at once. "Stephie… not now…"

But Stephanie didn't seem to hear anything. "But I saw your poodle with someone. Some guy…"

Shane held Stephanie close, just to shut her up. Marissa has seen and heard too much of McMahon craziness for one night. "You have to excuse her. She seems to have a thing for dogs lately…"

Fortunately, Marissa was too smitten by Steph's cuteness. Who would actually believe Shane's story of her being a spoilt brat? _For some reason, I do…_ "It's no problem… I don't really mind... She's so cute!"

Then Marissa turned her attention to Steph. "That guy you saw Pixie with is my brother. I was out so he was taking care of Pixie for me."

"Pixie?" Steph had this adorable confused look on her face.

"My poodle…" Marissa clarified, which caused Stephanie to flash and endearing smile.

"It's a cute name."

"You know what, I'll make you a deal. If you're good tonight, you go up to your room, brush your teeth, get some sleep and no longer fight with your brother, I'll bring Pixie over tomorrow morning so you could play with her. Deal?"

"Really?" Excitement was even an understatement of what Steph was feeling. Could she even sleep that night? She has to, if she wants to play with the poodle tomorrow.

"Okay! GOODNIGHT EVERYONE!!" Before anyone was fully aware of it, Steph was gone from the scene. She rushed into their house, up to her room and straight to the bathroom.

Shane has had enough of the embarrassment. If what he did to himself in front of Marissa minutes earlier wasn't enough to scare her away, his sister's weirdness and shallowness surely did.

"Look, I'm really, really sorry for everything tonight. It's so unfair for me to get you mixed up into my family's crazy life." Shane has this apologetic look, which made his brown eyes stand out more. Whose heart wouldn't melt with those puppy-like brown eyes?

"You've said sorry for a thousand times already. For the last time… IT'S… O—KAAAY…" She made sure to say that last part slowly for Shane to understand clearly.

"Okay, okay… I'm sorry…" When he saw Marissa's right eyebrow raised, he suddenly realized his mistake. It seemed that apologizing was all he was capable of doing that night. Actually, it's more of apologizing, getting surprised and making a fool out of himself… "Okay… I'm…" and before he could let out another sorry, he tried another direction. "I'm… shutting up now…"

The two then shared a laugh and all Linda could do was to watch. She has been observing the pair since Stephanie left and the sight in front of her has been rather interesting. It was not too long that Shane realized his mother was still there.

"OH!" He seemed to forget about everything else when he was with this girl. "Mom!" _Where in the hell are my manners? _"This is Marissa, she lives near us… just across, four houses away. Marissa, this is my mom…"

"Good evening Mrs. McMahon…" _Doesn't Shane just know too much about me? Oh yeah, I still have to find out how he got my name…_

"Oh please, just call me Linda… I think I've seen you around a couple of times…"

"Yeah, I stay out a lot. If I don't walk around, I just stay out in our front porch…"

Knowing that Shane needed time with his family just for bonding and to clear out all the issues that night, Marissa knew she had to make her exit already. "Well, it's getting late…" she started while rubbing her hands together. It was getting a bit cold too seeing as it was December. "So, I think it's time for me to go now…"

"You want me to accompany you home?" _That just came out sooooo wrong._ "I mean… as you've said it's late…" _But really, I could use any opportunity I can just to spend time with you…_

"Nah, it's okay… my house isn't that far. As you've said, it's just across, four houses away…" So now they're using each other's words as weapons. "I'll just see you tomorrow when I bring Pixie over."

If that's what she wanted, that's what he would give her. "Okay then… so it's goodnight for now?" He's sad, but he can't let her see that. He had been giving himself away so much for the past hour.

"Yeah… goodnight Mrs. Mc… Linda. It was nice meeting you…"

"Goodnight sweetheart…" Linda replied sweetly.

"And goodnight Shane…" She said with a smile. If that smile would be the only thing of her he could keep that night, he's taking it.

"Goodnight! I'll see ya tomorrow…"

Upon Marissa's departure, Shane heard a voice from behind that he had only heard for the first time since he came home. "Son… we need to talk…"

When Shane turned around, Vince continued: "And I would want to start by saying 'I'm sorry'…"

Apologizing has indeed been that night's trend. And that's what would just set things right for that night.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Marissa had just finished breakfast when she heard the sound of the doorbell. " I GOT IT!!" She didn't know what kind of surprise was in store for her behind the door.

"Oh hi!" She may be surprised by whoever their visitor was, but she isn't complaining. She loved the fact that they were there.

"Good morning!" Shane greeted her happily. He was clad in a plain shirt and sweat pants. But boy did he look sexy! Stephanie was in a pink dress with her hair tied up in pigtails. "I know it's quite early, and you've probably not yet eaten or something, but since she woke up, this little jewel has been pestering me to come see you… or more like see Pixie…"

And she thought Steph's love for her dog was just an overnight thing. "Actually, I've just finished breakfast… so…"

"May I please play with Pixie now?" Stephanie asked in a sweet voice that could actually be mistaken for a six year old's even if she was already ten.

"Have you been good last night?", Marissa asked playfully. She surely remembered their deal last night.

"Yep! I rushed inside the house, brushed my teeth and slept at once. And I and Shane have no fights! I'm a good girl!" she replied proudly.

"Okay, okay… I'll go get Pixie. You guys wanna come in?"

"Nah, I think it's best we just stay here…" Shane answered for him and his sister. "I don't want to take the risk of your dad suplexing me after finding out I was with you last night…" How cute could Shane be when he's teasing her?

But Marissa just let his joke slide. "I'll be right back…"

After a minute or so, Marissa came back with her poodle Pixie, and Steph went off to play with her. Kids… funny how they seem to be so innocent and shielded from the reality and complexity of life.

That left Shane and Marissa alone, sitting on the steps leading to her front door. _Great! Time alone with her… again!_


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

"I know I've said this out a million times already last night, but for the last time, I'm apologizing in behalf of my sister. She's just… I don't know. Too overwhelmed maybe, to have a girl friend along, seeing that she doesn't have a sister and it's just bully big brother with her all the time."

"And for the millionth time… I don't really mind. I don't have a sister as well, so I kinda understand where she's coming from."

"I know…"

"I'm sorry?" _Shane knows what?_

"I know that you don't have a sister…"

That caused Marissa to be in shock. How much of her life does Shane actually know about? "What is with you knowing a lot about me? I didn't get to ask you this last night but how exactly do you know my name anyway?"

_Oops… busted! _"I… uh…" He had to think of an answer… fast! "What? Is it a bad thing to know who your neighbors are now?" Good answer!

Or maybe not… "Oh really?? So what is the name of Mrs. Peterson's daughter?" She challenged.

Who? He surely has never heard of that name. How will he even know her daughter's name?! "Who is Mrs. Peterson?!"

"You're next door neighbor? The one who lives to your right?" She teased him. "And I thought you know your neighbors' names…"

"I know Mrs. Brown's kids names." He tried to reason. The Browns lived to their left. "It's just that, the Browns are more friendly than the… the… ones who live to our right!"

Shane could try, but she wasn't convinced. "Whatever you say mister!"

"What?! It's true…"

Marissa raised her right eyebrow once more, just like she did last night. But this time, she seemed to be giving the "tell me the truth" look.

"Okay fine, fine… I give. I'll tell you the truth." Shane wasn't exactly sure with how to get on with this. "But promise me you won't freak out okay?" Shane let out a sigh after he saw her nod her head.

"I… I… kinda know stuff about you because… I really exert an effort in doing so. I don't know… it's just… I… I just want to get to know you more, and hope that one day we could be friends or something or…" _Or something?! That came out so wrong!!_ Shane bowed his head down, afraid to see what her reaction may be.

Silence. Silence. Silence.

"Oh shit! I just screwed up…" was all Shane could think of. But he was grateful when he suddenly heard her angelic voice.

"Thank you…"

Shane looked up, surprised with her statement. _What was she thankful for?_ "For what?" He looked confused, and Marissa was all smiles.

"For being honest. I like honest people… they make good friends." She extended her right hand, offering it to him. "Friends?"

And Shane was now all smiles too. Taking her hand, she shook it firmly, yet just enough not to hurt her. "Friends."

He got one half of his wish—they're friends now… and he's happy with that—for now! But he surely is hoping to get to the "or something" part someday…


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Year 2015…

A still strong and mobile seventy-year-old Vince McMahon was sitting in the living room of their family rest house in Florida watching television. With him was his wife of forty-nine years Linda, who seemed to still look stunning at the age of sixty-seven. They have invited their kids over for a family weekend just for bonding and to catch-up on each other's lives. All four kids—Shane, Marissa, Steph and Paul—have been spending too much time at work with the continuous growth of WWE, and they all needed a break!

Apparently, the four musketeers, who have made a great team in running the WWE, were in the dining room, teasing each other, making noise, cracking jokes, laughing at one another while munching on a batch of freshly baked choco-chip cookies, and just enjoying the seldom chance they could have to be kids again. But their fun wouldn't last long.

"HEY!!" They heard two guys chorus. It came from the entertainment room.

"BUT YOU'VE BOTH BEEN WATCHING THAT STUPID SHOW FOR HOURS!! MY TURN NOW!!" The other voice rebutted. It sounded like a girl's voice.

"TURN IT BACK!!" Said one of the two male voices. _That sounds like Shane and Marissa's eleven-year-old first-born Declan's._

"NO!!" The girl insisted. _While that seems like Isabella's, Shane and Marissa's little princess, who has a five year age gap with Declan. _

"YEAH, BRING IT BACK!! IT'S THE LAST TWO MINUTES!!" The other male voice reasoned. _No mistake, that's Kenyon, their middle child._

Marissa has had enough. Her kids have been fighting too much lately. Was it really normal for kids that age to be fighting all the time? She left the group to go settle her children's latest problem.

"So the remote control issue was your fault. See? Your kids?…" Steph looked to Shane and teased him. Shane could only stick his tongue out. He didn't have anything else to say. Until…

"NO! WHY WOULD I FIX IT?! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I'M ON THE PHONE?!" They heard another girl scream. _That sounds like Aurora, Steph and Paul's first-born._

"BECAUSE I NEED IT!! IF YOU DON'T, I'M TELLING DAD!!" _And that would be none other than Ariel, Aurora's little sister._

Paul took that as his cue to get in between her princesses. _Is having two girls a good or a bad thing?_

Now, it's Shane's turn to shoot back at Stephanie. "And the fixing-the-P.C. thing was definitely yours…" And it was Steph's turn to stick her tongue out. Vince and Linda could only just laugh, remembering clearly what happened one night twenty-nine years ago.

Less than five minutes later, the whole McMahon family gathered around the dining table, after Marissa and Paul had managed to get their kids to just forget about the T.V. and P.C. and just go down to have dinner.

A whole chicken could only have two legs. And since Declan and Aurora got there first, they were able to get one each. But when their little sisters saw the chicken legs on their respective older sibling's plates, just like what happened twenty-nine years ago with their parents, Isabella took Declan's piece, while Ariel took Aurora's. Even if they were already on their plates!

"HEY!!" The first-borns echoed.

"Kids!!" Marissa and Paul warned together. "Isa… give the chicken back to your brother." But the young girl didn't seem to care. "ISABELLA!" With her mom's voice sterner, Isabella soon obeyed. "There are a lot in front of you. Get something else. That was not nice and was rude…"

Paul seemed to echo in Marissa's sentiments, and with no more words spoken, just gave Ariel a look, which she clearly understood. Soon after, the chicken leg was back on Aurora's plate, just where it had been initially. "Good girl…"

From where he sat, it was now Vince's turn to tease his kids. "So the chicken issue was whose fault now, huh?"

"Not me…" Steph initiated.

"Definitely not me either…" Shane continued.

"Right… whatever…" Marissa rolled her eyes with the siblings' denial. All Linda could do was smile. Those were the days…

And all Paul could do was to look around, scratch his head and wonder. _What kind of family did I marry into?_

Nonetheless, as crazy as the McMahons may be, he enjoys every minute of having married into such family. Whatever happens, they loved, love and will love each other all throughout. And that love was enough.


End file.
